Illuminated sign



March 2, 1948. A, R, WARNER K ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed March 9, 1938 [Inn Patented Mar. 2, 1,948

ILLUMINATED SIGN Arthur Richard Warner, London N. W. 8, England Application March 9, 1938, Serial No. 194,772 In Great Britain March 15, 1937 Section 3, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires March 15, 1957 8 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminated signs of the gaseous discharge type and has for its object to provide an improved form thereof.

In British patent specification No. 423,362 there is described an arrangement by which a luminous, gaseous discharge tube, fed with high frequency current, has a plate or similar conductor adjacent thereto and connected with one terminal of the tube. By applying to the tube a gradually increasing voltage, the discharge can be arranged to start at one end of the tube and to increase more or less slowly along its length until the tube is completely luminous.

It has been found, however, that sharp corners and abrupt bends such as are unavoidable in tubing bent into the form of a word or design, interfere with a smooth flow of light along the tube. When the head of the advancing light :column reaches the bend, it pauses, and on resuming its movement tends to flash or jerk into the next portion of the discharge tube, thereby detracting from the effect.

According to a feature of the vpresent invention therefore, I provide an adjustable conducting member which follows the convolutions of the tube along a major portion of its length. Preferably I employ a thin wire which is carried by the tube by means of small transparent insulating clips or by means of transparent or translucent adhesive.

In the accompanying drawing are shown by way of example certain details of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the broad principles governing the application of the flexible conductor to a discharge tube, Figure 2 is a side view, partly vin section of a sign, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a clip as used in the construction of Figure 2, Figure li is a side view of a further side, also partly in section, and Figure 5 is a detail showing a further method of arranging the flexible conductor.

In carrying the invention into eiect, the manner in which the capacity wire must be disposed for optimum results depends largely on the diameter of the tubes, the kind of gas used, the gas pressure, the degree of abruptness and nature of the bend and on similar factors. As a guide, however, a description of the wiring of a U-shaped discharge tube as shown in Figure l may be mentioned.

The discharge tube Hl is provided with suitable electrode means by which a recurrently increasing high frequency potential may be applied to the tube. One of these electrodes is represented by the capacity of a wire or other ilexible conductor Il, whilst the other is a conventional electrode at one end of the tube. The tube may be one of the type intended for operation by a high voltage low frequency alternating potential.

In considering the ow of current through a tube such as l0, the neon light will tend to flow smoothly along the initial straight portion from A to B andthe provision of the wire H at this portion of tube will not noticeably affect the speed of flow, but is valuable in certain circumstances in increasing the brilliance of the whole tube when fully lit. When the head of the advancing light column approaches the curved portion of the tube its advance is checked. The provision of a wire, disposed comparatively close to the tube, from a point C slightly before or slightly beyond the commencement of the curved portion, assists the uninterrupted flow yaround the bend from C to D. It is usually found advantageous not to extend the wire closely along the tube for a short distance before the bend, that is, from B to C, as this results in assisting the flow along the straight portion where assistance is not needed and therefore helps to prolong the undesired pause at the bend. In practice, however, the wire can for convenience form one unbroken length by spacing portions thereof at sufcient distance from the tube as at I2 to render its capacity elfect negligible.

If the head of the light column reaches a further bend in the tube of greater radius of curvature, as at E, it will again encounter a check and the wire may again be used to assist it to flow smoothly around the bend. As this bend is not so sharp the capacity due to the wire need not be so great as that described and can therefore be provided by either a short length of wire close to the tube or, as shown, a greater length further from the tube.

As a general rule the space between the wires and the tube should be greatest -for the wires disposed near the starting or high potential end of the tube, the spacing gradually diminishing as the end portion is reached. In practice it is found that the capacity wire may often with advantage be run right along, and in contact with the surface of the last 25% to 35% of the'tube. A 36 S. W. G. wire is very suitable for this end portion as it is easily secured to the tube by some transparent, insulating adhesive such as durox and 28 S. W. G. tinned copper or resistance wire has been found very suitable for 3 the spaced wire I l. The space between wire and tube varies from le" to 1/4".

A simple embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 2.Y In this figure a glass panel I3 is mounted, Withinl a` suitable casing? |43; and,

supports thetuba ID." An' inconspicuous mounting for the tube may be obtained by making a conical aperture in the panel and using a bead I5 as an anchorage for a binding wire I6.

The wire Il may be attached to the tube"V lili by means of small clips l?, FigureY 3, of transparent material known under the trade name off Celastoid These clips comprise a portion ila adapted to encircle the tube andaiproiectionilllb?v in which an aperture i3 is adapted-` tofrec'eive the wire Il.

In the construction shown in Figure 4 the tube is mounted upon a member i9 by means of supports 2e, which at their extremities` cam'fy saddles 2l to which the tube is secured by binding wiresf 2252.-` The'A wire. lh may;A be. supported being passed'V through` apertures',` 23,L inxthesupp ports Ze. for carrying the wire il only.

In' a sign ofthe type in which' the tube-isi` mounted closely behind a transparent portion of an. otherwise opaquen panel theconstruction shoWn-inFiguref'may beadopted: Inthis are rangementthe tubeis mountedfon the panelfby meansv of glass beadsi5 and binding. wiresas;

previously described. Meansindicatedxat `225l are provided for masking portions of,- tlie panelandf behind theseY portions are. securedv one` on more, flexible conductors in the -form of a stripof.- metalV (a) It results in a more smooth andeven' low ofV light along the tube.

(b) The capacity wire canbe mounted" die rectly onto tlie tube and when thus mounted, is, to all intents and purposes, invisibletothe observer. This makesit'pofssible, wherenecfessary; to mount theY discharge tubes 'onA glass panels;

which is not' possible with' the plate' system; as the irregularly shaped plat'emust be concealedi (c) Modifications, adjustments` andg correotions are easily' carried out at' lbcal-'portions' of the tube; In this respectV the plate-system aford's` little or' no scope.

What I` claim and" desire tosecurebylletters* Patent is:

1. An illuminated sign comprising a` vapeurvv discharge tube, electrodes for supplyinghigh frequency alternatingl current' to said? tube, an'dE a flexible conducting member effectivelyl con nected to one of said electrodes`A and" following" the convolutions of the tube constituting' a capacity along'the length` thereof, saidl conducting member beingV adjustable in' ay direction toYL Wards or away from said tubev over at' least a:- portion of the length ofsaid" tube, wherebyv the capacity effect of said conductor may bevaried to ensure an uninterrupted".'owof thecurrent about. curved portions of t'lietube.

2. An illuminated sign comprising' a" vapour discharge tubaelectrodes for supplying ar high'- frequency alternating current' to said tube; aL

flexible conducting member connected"to` oneof" said electrodes.andfollowing the convolutionsdf the tube, means engaging said t'ube for support- Intermediate'supports 2d may` be used ing said conducting member, said conducting member being adjustable in a direction towards or away from said tube over at least a portion of the length of said tube.

3.,Anv illuminated sign.v comprising a vapour discharge tube;,electrode means: for: supplying a high frequency alternating current to said tube, and a flexible conducting member eiectively connected to one of said electrodes and followin'gi the. convolutions of said tube, and clips of insulating. material engaging said tube and supporting said conducting member, said conducting member being adjustable in a direction towards:or awayffrom said tube over at least a portion.o'iftlielength of said tube.

4;,An.4 illuminated sign comprising a vapour discharge. tube, electrode means for supplying a high Yfrequency alternating current to said tube, andi. a2 flexible conducting member effectively connected to one of said electrodes and following the1 convolutions of saidtube, said. conducting; member beingA adjustable. in: a direction. to-

wards or. away from said tube over at least a:

portion. of4 the length4 oiI saidl tube,.and:being arranged generally toapproach said tube as: the

distance-fromasaidconnected electrode increasesV whilst being arranged.r more closelyI to. said` tubel at: curl-ved portionsthereof,

5. An illuminated sign comprising' a vapour dischargev tube,y electrode means for supplying. a high frequency alternating current tosaid tuba.

and a. iiexible conducting' member'Y effectively connected to one.- ofk saidelectrodes.andollow ing.; the convolutions ofA said' tube-` andl constituting aT capacity along the-lengthithereofean in.m sulating panelsupporting. said tube;- and-ineens on said panel for supporting said flexibleV con ductingmember., saidV conductingv member being" adjustable. in: a direction=towards` or away. fromf said tube over' atleast'faportion of thelength ofsaidtube; whereby the capacity effect oi saidconductor may be varied to-ensure an uninterr'upt'edflow of the'-v current about'v curved portions of. the` tube.w

6..Arr illum'in'atezl sign. comprising a@ vapour discharge tube, electrode; m'eans'f for. supplying? av high? frequency alternating-'i current to saidy tube anda flexible conductingmember:eiectivelyI conn'ect'ed tolone of saidaelectrodesand-lfollowingftlie' convolutions of said tube andconstitutinga capacity alongV the length thereof; anv insulating panel', and means on said panel for supporting" saidconducting memberbeing adjustable ina dil-A` L rection towards or awayffroml said tube over at' l'e'asta-portionof thellengtli of said tube, whereby theV capacity' effect ofi' said conductor may be variedv tov ensure an uninterrupted' flow of? the current" about?y curved' portions of the tube'.

7 ilI'umina'te'd sign comprising! avapour dischargetub'e; electrodesY forv supplying ahigli frequency alternating current to said tube, andi a flexible wirel effectively connected to one' of said' electrodesand following the convolutions of" the tube-1 along-f the' length thereof, said'I wirebeing adjustablelin adirectionv towardslor" away from said tubevover at least`A` a portion of" the length of; said'` tube, andbeing arranged gener-4 allyto approachsaid'tubeas the distance fromu said connectedV electrode increasesl whilst' being arranged more closely to said tube` at curved'A portions thereof;

8. An' illuminated signcomprising a vapour discharge tube; electrodes' for'v supplying` ahigh frequency alternatingl` currentl to` said tube; and

6 a flexible wire effectively connected to one of said electrodes and following the convolutionsy UNITED STATES PATENTS of the tube along the length thereof, said wire being adjustable in a direction towards or away Number Name Date from said tube `over at least a portion of the 5 1,795.572 Norden Mal'. 10, 1931 length of said tube, and being arranged gener- 1,872,428 Drury Aug. 16, 1932 ally to approach said tube as the distance from 2,054,846 Zillger Sept. 22, 1936 said connected electrode increases whilst being arranged more closely to said tube at curved FOREIGN PATENTS portions thereof, and having its free end ar- 10 ranged in contact with said tube. Nugelr Gregnlgin Mar 2961561926 ARTHUR RICHARD WARNER" 239,826 Great Britain Mar. 30, 1926 REFERENCES CITED 423,362 Great Britain Jan. 25, 1935 The following references are of record in the 15 le of this patent: 

